Soldiers of Neptune
by Nitrogirl
Summary: Serena looked at me with sad blue eyes and said," Haruka, I understand how you feel, but-" I cut her off by screaming, " No! You don't understand and don't pretend that you do! You still have your partners! Michiru...Michiru can't be a Sailor Soldier anymore. I...I've lost my partner and...it's all my fault."
1. Vision

Hi, everyone! Welcome to the first part of Soldiers of Neptune! This is my first time writing a Sailor Moon fanfic, so let me now if any of the characters become OOC. Before you read this, there is something you must know.

The main pairing is:

OC/Haruka/Michiru

Okay, now that you know that, enjoy!

Prolouge: Vision

**Michiru**

When I stepped into the cool waters of the ocean, I could tell something was amiss. The sea itself was unsettling and I could sense that a storm was approaching. This storm seemed dangerous and I could tell it was unlike anything that we have ever faced. Reaching into my bag, I pulled out a small golden mirror with a sea-green back that bore the symbol of Neptune. I held it in front of me and channeled my thoughts into it,

" Deep Aqua Mirror, show me what events have yet to pass."

The mirror glowed with a bright white light as images began to appear on the mirror's surface. The pictures showed the Inner Scouts falling on the field of battle, one by one, getting struck down by an enemy's blade. Their blood painted the sword red and then it was dragged across the ground, igniting sparks of flame.

The enemy was walking towards someone before breaking out into a sprint. Who was it targeting next? The weapon was raised and sliced the air. Red liquid splashed the ground, but I still couldn't tell whom the enemy attacked.

A second later, I saw Haruka lying on the ground in a pool of her own blood.

The vision ended and I nearly dropped the mirror. Bile rose into my throat. Haruka…..no….

I heard my cell phone ring as I recomposed myself and answered it,

" Hello?"

" Michiru…"

I flinched when I heard Haruka's voice on the phone. She said,

" Got a call from Serena. A monster has appeared downtown and we're being called in. I'm coming to pick you up. Where are you?"

" I'm at the beach."

" I'm on my way."

She hung up the phone, leaving me conflicted. I didn't want Haruka to fight if there was a big chance that she was going to die. However, we had a mission to accomplish: Protect Serena at all costs, now matter what.

I shook the thoughts of the vision away. The future isn't set in stone. Anything could happen in the field of battle. Even so, I wasn't going to let Haruka die. I will protect her, even if it means sacrificing my own life.

The sounds of an engine entered my ears, making me turn around. I saw Haruka leaning against her car door as I walked to her car. I sat in the passenger's seat when she asked, " Is something wrong?"

I forced a smile to appear on my face and lied, " Nothing's wrong. Nothing at all."

She raised one of her eyebrows when I felt a drop of water land on me. I looked to the sky to see raindrops coming from grey clouds. Haruka groaned, muttering, " Just our luck. We have to fight in the rain."

I chuckled and commented, "Don't worry. If you get sick, I'll just nurse you back to health."

Her face turned pink for a minute, making me laugh even more. I felt the cold rain soaking my clothes, but it felt refreshing. The vision still lingered in my mind, prompting me to ask,

" Haruka, do you know the old saying about the rain?"

She looked at me with a confused face, making me explain myself,

" The saying goes, " When it rains, the heavens are crying."

" What does an old saying have to do with anything?"

I placed my hand over hers, unnerving her a bit. My eyes filled with sadness as I said, " Haruka, no matter what happens, don't cry. If you do, the heavens will feel your sorrow and cry as well."

Haruka looked at me briefly before saying,

" Michiru, don't talk nonsense."

I smiled at her response. Her words made me feel a little better, but I was still worried about her. I cast my worries to the side and made a decision:

No matter what happens, I will protect Haruka, even if it means sacrificing my own life.


	2. The Night the Heavens Cried Part 1

Hi, everyone! Here's the next chapter! Enjoy.

I don't own Sailor Moon.

Part 1: The Night the Heavens Cried - Part 1

**Serena**

We arrived downtown like we planned, transformed with weapons at the ready, but there was no enemy to be seen. Instead, we were faced with a much more brutal scene: carnage. Bodies lied on the road and the street was nearly painted red. On top of that, there was the overwhelming smell of blood mixed with death. Tears stung my eyes as the sight of it all. Comforting hands placed themselves on my shoulders as Mars whispered to me, " Stay strong, Serena."

I nodded in understanding while Mercury scanned the area with her computer. Jupiter asked,

" Mercury, what do you see?"

" I see one inhuman life form."

" Just one?"

" Just one."

One enemy did this much damage? This enemy must be really strong. Those thoughts were interrupted when Mercury exclaimed,

" It's coming!"

We armed ourselves with our respective weapons. I had my Moon Scepter in my hand and glanced at the environment. Where is it? Suddenly, I saw a purple blur flash by us. I shouted, " It's here!"

Rei saw the purple blur and concentrated her powers of flame into a fiery arrow. She yelled, " Mars Fire Sniper!", releasing her arrow. The fire missed its target, releasing flame upon the battlefield. With one wave of her hand, Rei made the flames disappear. Minako unleashed her chain as it glowed a radiant yellow color. She used hand gestures to control it, screaming,

" Love Chain Encircle!"

The chain went towards the enemy, but it was too quick to hit. I saw the purple blur come towards Minako and yelled,

" Minako, get out of the way!"

My words came too late because Minako was sustained a horrible injury: a huge cut on the upper half of her body. Blood splattered everywhere as I screeched in anguish,

" VENUS!"

Her body began to fall to the ground and I caught her in my arms. She was rendered unconscious, making me furious. How dare it hurt Minako! I yanked my tiara off my head and concentrated all of my energy into it. Then, I threw it, yelling out loud, " Moon Tiara Magic!"

The tiara zoomed toward the enemy, but its movements were too fast for it to follow. I made the tiara change directions, just to keep up with the enemy. It started to dart towards me, making me resort to using my Moon Scepter. It started to glow and pulsate with power and I declared, pointing it at the enemy, " Moon Scepter Blast!"

A white ball of Moon energy went head on towards the enemy, but it jumped high into the air, completely avoiding damage. The enemy zoomed towards me again while I made my tiara come near me. However, the tiara wasn't fast enough to connect with the enemy before it sliced through me. I saw someone dart out in front of me, taking the attack for me. I saw half of a blade sticking out of the back of a girl with a green sailor suit. Tears ran down my face as Makoto struggled to stay on her feet. Now, I could see what the enemy truly looked like.

It was a purple spiky monster that stood on two legs. It's arms were bent while it tried to jerk the sword out of Makoto. Lightning sparked in her hands and she shoved them against the monster. The monster was electroctued and the sheer force of Makoto's attack caused it to be blown back a couple of feet. Makoto couldn't stay on her feet any longer and she sank to the ground as well, unconsious due to the injury. I gathered my strength and laid Venus next to Jupiter. I commanded,

" Mercury, cover the battlefield with a fog. Use that cover to get Venus and Jupiter out of here so they can get medical aid with Mars."

" What about you?"

" I will stay and fight."

" Very well."

Ami formed a huge bubble in her hands and declared, " Mercury Bubble Blast."

She threw the bubble into the air, covering the air with a thick fog. Ami carried Minako and Rei carried Makoto. Before leaving, Rei gave me one last fleeting look before saying,

" Good luck, Sailor Moon."

She vanished as I prepared myself for battle. I jumped high in the air as the fog started to clear. The monster looked around in all directions, searching for us. I aimed my scepter at it and blasted another attack at it. It looked up and jumped backwards, dodging the attack. Then, it jumped into the air and came towards me. I placed my arms in front of me in order to shield myself.

I saw something red flash in front of me, hitting the monster. It was covered in flames upon impact. I landed on the ground to see Rei a few feet away from me. I ran to her, yelling,

" What are you doing here? I told you to leave!"

" I know, but I couldn't leave you to fight alone."

I sighed and said, " Okay. Let's do it."

Rei nodded and we ran at the monster firing fireballs and Moon energy at it. The monster ran at us in a blaze, striking us quickly as he ran past us. Cuts appeared all over our body as we panted from exhaustion. Blood escaped from our bodies, tiring us even further. We couldn't keep this up much longer. Where are Uranus and Neptune?

I began to stagger because of the pain. My vision started to become blurry on me. No...I can't go out, not now. I felt hands push me to the side as Rei's blood splashed on me. Her body fell to the ground, immobile and lifeless. I held her in my arms, asking myself,

" Is this it? Are we going to die here?"

The monster started to run towards us again, but I didn't have the strength to fight back. I closed my eyes and waited for extreme pain. However, that never came because I felt the earth shake while my ears heard three words,

" Uranus World Shaking!"


	3. The Night the Heavens Cried Part 2

Hi, everyone! Here's the next chapter! Enjoy.

I don't own Sailor Moon.

Part 2: The Night the Heavens Cried - Part 2

My attack hit the monster, causing it to be blasted a few feet before landing on its back. Michiru and I ran to Serena's aid. I asked,

" Serena, are you alright?"

She nodded and replied, " I'm fine, but Mars isn't. She took an attack for me. She needs medical attention."

I cast my glance from side to side, looking for the rest of the Inners. There were nowhere to be seen, making me question,

" Where are the rest of the Inner Scouts?"

" Most of them were struck down by the monster, except for Mercury. They were taken away before they could sustain anymore injuries."

* * *

When Serena told us this, my blood ran cold. I looked at the monster's weapon, which was painted red with blood. At that moment, I had a chilling realization. My vision was coming true. Haruka placed a hand on Serena's shoulder and stated,

" Serena, you should leave. Get Mars to safety and don't return here."

" No!"

" Serena..."

" Do you expect me to leave you two behind? Forget it!"

" Serena, you have to leave this one to us. We'll be okay. I am the strongest Sailor Senshi, so I can take care of myself. Also, I have Michiru with me. Together, there's nothing we can't do. Now, go."

Serena reluctantly nodded, retreating and taking Mars with her. With her gone, Haruka and I prepared ourselves for battle. I snuck a quick glance at Haruka while images of her lying in blood plagued my mind. I cast the thoughts of the vision out of my head and prepared for the task at hand: defeating the enemy.

A yellow light appeared in front of Haruka, forming into a sword with a golden handle and a jewel decorated sheath: the Space Sword. I summoned the Deep Aqua Mirror to my aid. I closed my eyes and whispered, " Mirror, please...reveal this monster's weakness." My eyes shot open and I pointed the mirror to the monster, screaming, " Deep Submarine Reflection!" The mirror glowed with a radiant white light as it started to detect the monster's weakness. Once it stopped glowing, I turned the mirror around so I could see what it could tell me, only to be shocked by what I saw. The mirror's reflection showed me...nothing.

My eyes widened with shock and Haruka questioned,

" Neptune, what's wrong?"

" It's...impossible..."

" What is?"

" This monster...has..no...weakness."

Haruka's eyes registered shock and puzzlement by my last statement, which made her shake her head furiously, exclaiming, " We'll just have to destroy it everything we can to destroy it, even if it costs us our lives!"

Those words made my heart stop for a moment and think about my vision. Tears threatened to come out of my eyes, but I composed myself to hide any painful emotion that I was feeling. Haruka charged at the monster, bearing her sword. She swiped at it, making the monster block with his own blade. Both of them struggled in a battle of pure strength with both of their blades trembling in their wake. Haruka lost the battle, which caused her to jump back. Her sword glowed with power and she screamed,

" Space Sword Blaster!"

She waved her sword, unleashing a wave of power towards the monster. It jumped into the air, dodging it at lightning speed. Haruka growled with frustration while I raised my arms up and concentrated all of the power of the sea into my hands. Then, I threw it at him, announcing, " Neptune Deep Submerge!"

It dodged my attack and its own blades began to pulsate with energy. Both of the blade were waved, making sharp winds come towards us. We held our arms in front of us in a defensive position, but our flesh was sliced open. Blood emitted from our arms and pain became the only thing I felt. I hissed in agony and I checked to see if Haruka was still standing. She was, but she was struggling to hold her sword up in a fighting stance. The monster rushed towards her, but I intercepted by attacking with the mirror once again, declaring, " Deep Submarine Refelction!"

Instead of showing me the monster's weakness, the mirror emitted a blast of energy right at the monster. It vanished from sight which made us dart our eyes back and forth. Where did it go? Suddenly, I heard Haruka shriek,

" Neptune, behind you!"

My head snapped around to see the monster, but I could do nothing when it slashed me back. The pain I felt was unbearable as a loud shriek escaped from my mouth. My body dropped to the ground as a result while the mirror slid out of my hands and landed a few centimeters away from me. My uniform was dyed red with blood. The monster stood over me, pointing one of his blades at me. I tried to get up, but lacked the strength to do so. Yellow energy went towards the monster, but he jumped in the air, broke off one of his blades, and threw it at Haruka. She dodged it, but got grazed in the process. The monster landed in front of me and was about to strike, but a shiny yellow tiara struck it in the head, making the monster fly backwards for a couple of minutes before falling into the ground.

I gasped when I saw Serena catching her tiara and running towards us. Haruka yelled,

" Serena, we told you to leave!"

" No! I will not abandon my friends!"

" This monster is too much for you! Leave while you still can!"

Haruka's pleas went on deaf ears as Serena went to attack the monster once again, using her scepter. She tried as hard as she could to take the monster out, but couldn't. The monster regrew its blade and just kept swiping at Serena. It did succeed in hurting her by cutting her legs and arms. Before she crumpled into the ground in pain, she focused energy into her scepter, pointed it at the monster, screeching,

" Moon Scepter Blast!"

The monster dodged the energy beam and both of his blade started to radiate with energy. Oh no. I tried to get up, but the pain didn't let me move as easily as I wanted to. I screamed, " Serena, get out of the way!" Serena didn't hear me and just charged up her scepter again to fire another energy beam. The monster waved his blades, making an energy beam in the shape of an X. Serena's attack was dominated by it as the energy went towards her.

I closed my eyes and heard the sound of flesh being cut and Serena's agonizing yell. When I opened my eyes, Haruka was hugging Serena and her back was soaked in blood. She...She took the attack for her. Haruka released Serena and fell on her side, creating a pool of blood underneath her. Tears fell from my eyes and I cried in anguish,

" **HARUKA!**"

* * *

I was paralyzed with fear. Haruka's blood was all over me and now, she's fighting to stay awake. Tears stung my eyes as the monster started walking towards us, dragging one of its blades on the ground. By doing that, sparks ignited from the sword. I needed to do something, but fear was overwhelming me. My body just trembled while the monster slowly walked towards us. It looked at me with cold eyes, before turning to Haruka. She looked at the monster with fury while struggling to keep her eyes open. The monster pointed its blade at her, pulled it back, and thrust it. Blood splashed onto the ground once again, but it wasn't Haruka's blood, it was Michiru's.

* * *

The blade went through my stomach quickly as I coughed up blood. The pain was unbearable. I turned my head when I heard Haruka ask in a surprised voice,

" Michiru...why?"

I responded in short painful gasps, " Haruka...I...won't...let...you...die."

The monster ripped the blade out of my stomach and grabbed me by my hair. Then, it picked me up with inhuman strength and threw me aside like a piece of trash. My body flew until it crashed into the side of a building, making a huge dent in it. Then, I felt myself begin to fall slowly until I landed painfully on the ground, landing on my side and hitting my head very hard. At first, all I could see was shapes and shadows. Then, my world went black but I was only able to hear one voice before succumbing to the darkness and that voice was Haruka's,

"** MICHIRU!**"


	4. The Night the Heavens Cried Part 3

Hi, everyone! I apologize for the hiatus. From now on, I will try to update on a weekly basis. Now, here is the latest chapter.

Enjoy!

I don't own Sailor Moon.

Part 2: The Night the Heavens Cried - Part 3

When my eyes observed what happened to Michiru, I dropped to my knees in helplessness. Haruka was trying with all her might to crawl to Michiru, repeating her name with a tone that was laced with pain. I felt weak and pathetic, but most of all, scared. This enemy was overpowering us with ease. It was defeating us so easily, while it took everything in our power to survive. There was only one option left that could save us: retreat.

* * *

It took all the strength in my body for me to move slowly inch by inch. In addition, it also took all of my willpower to ignore the agonizing pain I was experiencing and the weakness that my body was succumbing to. My breathing rate started to become slow and raggedy. I started to see nothing but shapes and shadows as my vision was starting to fade.

However, I didn't care about any of that. The only thing I cared about at the moment was Michiru.

I had to get to her. I had to see if she was alive or...

My mind couldn't even comprehend the thought of Michiru dying. She can't die on me, not now, not ever. I won't let her go into her own world and leave me all alone in this one.

My body ceased to move any further, which infuriated me. I felt unconsciousness beginning to take over and I whispered her name one more time before my world went black.

* * *

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard the monster coming towards me and all I could do was tremble in its path. My brain was screaming for my body to move, but my body wasn't obeying its commands. I was too full of fear in order to do anything. The monster stopped in front of me and raised its sword over my head. I mumbled in a weak voice, " Move...move..." The monster's sword moved downward swiftly as I screamed, " MOVE!" My body finally stopped trembling and I was able to slam my body against the ground in a horizontal position. The blade cut into my leg and I bit my lip because of the pain. My hands grasped the blade and lifted it out of my flesh with me hissing in agony as a result. I retrieved my scepter and pointed it at the monster, causing it to jump back. Moon energy began to gather within the scepter while I yanked my tiara off of my head, making it glow with power. I shot the energy at the monster and threw my tiara at the same time.

The monster leaped into the air, avoiding any damage from my scepter attack, but it was still struck by my tiara. The tiara began to damage the monster, but I knew that wouldn't stop him completely. The only thing it did give me was a small window of opportunity to escape with our lives. Ignoring the enormous pain in my leg, I ran towards Haruka, picked her up, and moved her next to Michiru.

I grasped their hands and looked behind me to see the monster pulling my tiara off of it. Once my tiara was removed, it moved towards me in an instant, and placed itself in its original position around my head. The monster started to run towards us and two words were emitted from my lips,

" Sailor Teleport."

* * *

When I awakened, all I felt was grogginess and disoriented. I sat up slowly and noticed that I was out of my Sailor uniform and my back was completely covered in bandages. I looked around and noticed that I was in Rei's house. I heard a voice at the door say,

" You're awake! Thank goodness!"

I looked to the source and saw it was Ami. I placed a hand on my head in a confused fashion and asked,

" Where is everyone?"

" I healed Rei, Serena, Minako, and Makoto. Right now, they should all be resting at their houses."

" Michiru...where's Michiru?"

She hesitated in answering me and cast her gaze to the side. This caused me to panic and ask again in a louder tone,

" Where is Michiru?"

" Haruka...I..."

Her inability to give me a direct answer angered me and I roughly grabbed her shoulders, screaming, " **Tell me where Michiru is right now**!"

Ami had fear and shock in her eyes. After a moment, she nodded and said, " I'll take you to her."

After I put clothes on that concealed my bandages, I followed Amy into the hospital. This caused my mind to be plagued with questions. Is Michiru still alive or...or dead? Amy took me to Michiru's room where I saw her lying in a hospital bed in a white gown. She seemed to be merely sleeping, but she was hooked up to life support. I walked over to her and tried to call out to her, only to be stopped by Ami. Grabbing my arm, she took me outside the hospital and into a secluded area where no one could hear our conversation. Ami stated,

" Michiru is in a coma."

Those words caused my blood to run cold and my heart to stop. Ami continued, " That's why I stopped you from calling out to her earlier. She can't respond to anything or anyone."

I slumped my shoulders in sadness and disbelief. How...How can Michiru be in a coma? Ami placed a comforting hand on my shoulder and apologized, " I'm sorry, Haruka."

I looked at Ami, which made the gears in my head turn. She healed everyone else and they're okay, but she couldn't do the same to Michiru? Why? Why is that? I became enflamed with rage, which Ami noticed and took a step back in fear. My hands grasped the collar of her shirt tightly and pulled her towards me, so I could look at her very closely. I yelled in fury,

" **Why didn't you prevent this from happening?! You healed the others, but how come you couldn't do that to Michiru**?"

She pried my hands away from her and backed up, saying, " Haruka, I'm not perfect! I may have healing abilities, but I'm not strong enough to heal every single injury known to man! At the moment, I'm only capable of healing exterior injuries, but Michiru was a different exception!" She looked away from me in sadness and finished, " I couldn't heal any damage that she had suffered from within. Michiru suffered a head injury which caused her damage inside her head."

My eyes widened in surprise and I mumbled an apology for my actions. Ami accepted it and said in a positive tone, " Haruka, she'll get better. You know Michiru won't give up within a fight. She'll wake up in time."

We walked back to the hospital after that and Ami looked at the clock, stating,

" It's getting late. We should go home."

" You go. I'm going to stay for a little while."

" Are you sure?"

" Yeah..."

She placed a hand on my shoulder and I shook it off, saying, " I'll be fine. Go on." Ami gave me a look of concern before leaving the hospital. I walked back to Michiru's room and sat at her bed side. I placed my hand over hers and stroked her cheek, saying glumly, " Michiru...you're so unfair. You went into your own world and left me in this one." A single tear ran down my face and I heard the sound of raindrops falling against the window. This made Michiru's words echo inside my mind:

" _When it rains, the heavens are crying. Haruka, no matter what happens, don't cry. If you do, the heavens will feel your sorrow and cry as well_. "

Michiru, I have to cry, because you were taken away from me...and now I'm all alone.


	5. An Idea

Hi, everyone! I apologize for the long wait. Here's the latest chapter. Enjoy!

I don't own Sailor Moon.

Part 4: An Idea

When I got home, I snuck into my bedroom through the window in order to prevent any interruption from my parents' slumber. I released my golden hair from my dual ponytails and changed into my pink, fluffy rabbit pajamas. After that, I fell onto my bed in an attempt to fall asleep. However, my efforts were in vain. All I did was toss and turn in my bed while my thoughts still lingered on Michiru's fate.

Haruka must have found out by now and out of all of us, she must be hurting the most. After all, Michiru was her partner, on and off the battlefield. The loss of her treasured partner must be devastating.

An image of the creature that put Michiru into a coma sent shivers down my spine. We did everything in our power to defeat it, but we failed. It nearly destroyed us and we couldn't even scratch it. I'm confident that that creature will return to destroy us someday, but how even with all the training in the world, how will we defeat it with the absence of a Sailor Soldier? I couldn't possibly ask Setsuna to assist us. She must maintain her duty as the Guardian of the Time Gate.

An idea popped up in my head, which could possibly work. However, bringing the idea into fruition would be difficult. I need to speak to someone about it first before telling the others. My eyes wandered to a slumbering Luna and took her out of the equation. " Only one person left…", I mumbled as I grabbed my cell phone and dialed Darien's number.

It rang three times before I heard Darien's voice on the other side,

" Hello?"

He sounded sleepy, which made me feel guilty about calling him at such a late hour. I greeted,

" Hi, Darien."

" Hey, Meatball Head."

Hearing him call me by my old nickname made me smile a little. I heard him say,

" I'm surprised that you're still up. I thought you would have been asleep hours ago."

" I…I can't sleep. I've had a lot of things on my mind."

" Like what?"

I confessed everything to him that was plaguing me. First, he was concerned about my well-being. After assuring him that I was alright, he gave me his condolences.

" I'm sorry, Serena. Going through all of this must be very painful for you."

" Darien, you shouldn't apologize, especially not for this."

" I'll come back to Japan."

" No."

" Serena, this creature sounds powerful. I don't want you to get killed. If I lost you, I'd be devastated."

His words made my heart clench a bit. I commented,

" Darien, I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. You need to stay focused on your studies."

" I never thought I would hear those words coming from you."

I chuckled at his comment and he asked me,

" Serena, what are you going to do about this?"

" Actually, I have an idea. It may solve our problem and help us deal with Michiru's absence."

" Okay, what's your idea?"

I took a deep breath and declared,

" We recruit someone to take Michiru's place as Sailor Neptune."

" Are you serious about this?"

" Dead serious."

" Serena, your idea sounds plausible, since Rini is proof that Sailor Soldiers can be replaced by people of the same bloodline, but do you even know if Michiru has any living family members besides her parents?"

" No, but I know someone who can look into it."

" I hope you are going to tell the others about this before going through with it."

" Yes, I'm going to talk with everyone tomorrow...except Haruka."

" Serena, she deserves to know the most!"

" I know, but she will try to stop me and convince the others to agree with her. She will be biased because Michiru and her are lovers. She won't think rationally. That's why I need to talk to the others first before her. If they all agree with me, then, I'll go alone and convince Haruka."

" What if Haruka doesn't agree with you?"

" If she tries to be stubborn, I'll use the power of majority vote."

" You'll use that only if the others will agree with you, right?"

" Yes."

" If they don't?"

" If they don't agree with me, we'll wait until Michiru wakes up and see what happens in the meantime."

A yawn escaped from my mouth and I looked at the clock. I was surprised to see that it was two a.m. Darien commented,

" Get some rest. You're going to need your strength to weather this upcoming storm."

" You're right. Good night, Darien."

" Good night, Serena."

I hung up the phone and mumbled before I drifted off to sleep, " Michiru, for what I'm about to do, please forgive me."


	6. The Meeting

Hi, everyone! Here's the latest chapter. Enjoy!

I don't own Sailor Moon.

Part 5: The Meeting

When I awakened the next morning, I was relieved that it was Saturday. My late night conversation with Darien along with yesterday's battle still left me quite exhausted. I couldn't go to school in this condition. As fortunate as it was to sleep in, I did one thing before drifting off into the land of dreams once again. Pulling out my cell phone, I sent a text to everyone except Haruka.

_Meeting 2day at 5. Urgent._

* * *

" Sun, Moon, Star Earth, Fire, Air, Water, Rock, Sun...", I chanted while making the hand signs for each force of nature. I knelt in front of the fire and concentrated. I could hear the fire cracking as I concentrated. An ominous feeling began to consume as I started to see possible events of the future.

A light skinned girl with raven hair and ocean blue eyes was standing over a fallen Sailor Mercury. Ami was unconscious and had a huge hole in her stomach that was gushing out blood by the minute. The girl grabbed Ami up by her hair and lifted her off the ground. Suddenly, her hand that grasped Ami began to glow with energy. Her eyes began to glow a radiant blue color for a second before she released Ami. A cruel smirk formed on her face as she raised her hand to the sky. A dense mist covered the area and when the mist faded, the girl disappeared from sight.

My mind returned to reality and I could feel my face become drenched with sweat. W-What was that? W-Who was that? I heard my phone vibrate, making me pick up my phone and flip it open. It was a text from Serena about a meeting later today. It's good we're having one. Maybe, I'll get the chance to tell her about my vision.

* * *

When the clock struck 5:00, all the Sailor Scouts that I texted. Ami was sitting in the chair while Rei, Makoto, and Minako were situated on the couch. Since Setsuna couldn't leave the time gate, she sent a present version of herself to attend the meeting. I took a deep breath and stated,

" It's glad to see everyone. I know we had a difficult time last night and I am grateful that everyone came out of it alive."

The rest of the group cast their heads downwards and I knew that they were thinking about Michiru. Seeing their sad expressions almost made me consider not sharing the idea I had, but that wasn't an option. Gathering my resolve, I declared,

" As you all are well aware, Michiru is in no condition to fight as Sailor Neptune. This makes us one Sailor Scout short. However, I have a suggestion that may solve this problem."

Everyone looked at me as I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and informed them all of what my suggestion was,

" My suggestion is that we find another girl to become Sailor Neptune."

The looks I received from my words were mixed, which didn't surprise me. Some of them were shock while others looked at me with expressions filled with anger. The first person to speak up was Rei, who looked the most angry.

" You're suggesting that we find some random girl to replace Michiru?!"

" Yes."

" How dare you, Serena! How dare you even suggest such a thing!"

" Rei, I understand the reasoning for your anger, but..."

" I can't believe you would cast her aside without a second thought! I'm appalled that you would treat your friends like this! Maybe, Michiru was never really your friend at all. "

Rei's words caused me to become frustrated, so I defended myself,

" Michiru is and will always be my friend, Rei, but she is in a coma right now! Did you forget about that?!"

" She'll wake up!"

" When, Rei?! Tell me when!"

My answer was silence, which made me comment, " Exactly. It may take Michiru weeks, months, maybe even years, to wake up. When she does, who knows i we'll even be here by that time? That monster will come back for us and we need the power of every Sailor Scout when that time comes. Michiru may not be awake by that time, so we have to take the option of a new Sailor Neptune into account."

Rei shot me a dirty look as Makato cut in,

" I understand what you're saying and you have a point, but I'm angry that you would replace her so quickly. What if she wakes up from her coma tomorrow?"

I looked at Ami and asked,

" How long does it take for a person to recover from a coma?"

" It depends on the injury, but it does take time. When Michiru wakes up, she won't be automatically back to normal. Her body needs time to readjust itself and recover. That alone may take weeks."

Makoto backed down and Minako spoke up instead,

" Is that why Haruka isn't here? You didn't want to talk about this in front of her?"

" If I did, she would have rejected it immediately."

" If I were her, I would too! This is her partner, we're talking about! Haruka loves Michiru and she is the only person that Haruka will accept as her equal! You want to throw Michiru away and pair Haruka up with some stranger that she doesn't even know!"

Rei put in her two cents as well.

" Worst of all, you're planning on doing this behind her back."

I rose to my feet and yelled,

" I am not doing this behind her back! If I did, I already would have found someone and she would be walking through that door! I brought this up because I wanted us to vote on the matter! Haruka is not here because she wouldn't think rationally about it! Her answer would automatically be no! I called you all here because I thought that you all would be able to look at the big picture, but obviously, I was wrong!"

There was tension in the air after I said my piece, but it was mainly situated between me and Rei. I turned to Ami and questioned,

" What do you think?"

" I don't like the idea of replacing Michiru with anyone, but I agree with you, Serena. You have my vote."

Minako screamed Ami's name in outrage while Rei demanded,

" You're taking her side?!"

" Rei, that monster from yesterday almost obliterated us and we had everyone here. Imagine what might happen if one of us wasn't there the next time we faced it. We probably would not survive."

I turned to Setsuna and asked,

" How about you?"

" As Michiru's friend, your idea does upset me. However, as a Sailor Scout, your idea is the most rational course of action. You have my vote as well."

I had three votes, now, if only the others would agree with me.

My attention returned to Rei, Minako, and Makoto. All of them were staring at me with furious eyes. Minako declared,

" I'm saying no to this, Serena. You can't replace the love of Haruka's life so easily."

Of course, she would say that. After all, she is the Sailor Scout of love and beauty. It's only natural for her to think about the romantic link between Haruka and Michiru.

Next, Makoto declared,

" My answer is also no. I honestly believe that Michiru could wake up sooner than you think. As long as I believe in that, there is no way I can condone the act of replacing her."

Finally, it was Rei's turn to speak. However, before she gave a vote, she demanded one answer from me,

" If any of us were in Michiru's situation, would you suggest the same thing for us?"

It hurt my heart to say it, but I answered, " Yes."

Rei scoffed and said in a tone of malice,

" You're a **terrible excuse** for a leader. If I had your position-"

" You don't have my position, Rei, and as long as I'm standing, **you never will**. **I'm the leader, you are not**. I don't need your attitude right now, all I need is a simple yes or no. Do I have your vote?"

She narrowed her eyes at me and answered, " No."

A sigh escaped my lips and I finished, " Very well. Meeting's adjourned. You can see yourselves out."

Rei, Minako, and Makoto all stormed out of my house. Ami looked at me with a concerned expression before leaving. Setsuna asked,

" What will you do now, Princess?"

" I have to tell Haruka what occurred today."

" Are you going through with this?"

" No. I decided I would only do it if I had majority vote, which I don't."

" So, you're going to wait then?"

" Yeah, and I hope and pray that we're still here by the time Michiru wakes up."

There was a brief moment of silence before I asked,

" Setsuna, can I ask a favor of you?"

" You can ask me anything, Princess."

" Can you come with me to Haruka's place? I could really use moral support when talking to her."

" Of course, Princess."

We walked out of my house and made it to Haruka's apartment. Hesitantly, I rang the doorbell and patiently waited for Haruka to answer.


	7. Argument

Hi, everyone! Here's the latest chapter. Enjoy!

I don't own Sailor Moon.

Part 6: Argument

When Haruka answered the door, I was shocked to see the state she was in. There were dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep, not to mention that I could smell the scent of alcohol on her breath. I knew she would be upset by Michiru's condition, but I never thought it would impact her like this. Part of me wanted me to turn around and forget about telling her about this whole thing. However, I knew that wasn't an option. Haruka needed to know what's going on. She gestured for me to enter the apartment as I sat down in a chair. She offered me some water, but I turned the offer down.

Haruka sat across from me on the other sofa and waited for me to say something. I took a deep breath and said, " We all had a meeting earlier today."

This information caused her to get her cell phone out and check her messages, mumbling, " Can't believe I missed it..." I said,

" I didn't notify you about the meeting."

There was confusion on her face from me saying that. Haruka questioned,

" Why didn't you?"

Reluctantly, I stated, " I made a decision about Michiru and presented it to the others."

When she heard Michiru's name, Haruka's demeanor changed in an instant. She went from being confused to serious in seconds. Gathering up my courage, I informed,

" I suggested that someone else takes Michuru's place as Sailor Neptune."

* * *

When I heard those words come out Serena's mouth, I only felt one thing: rage. That rage took control of me, which led me to tackle her. The impact of my body crashing into hers cause us both to fall to the ground. Serena gasped in pain when her back hit the tiled floor, but I didn't care. I was pinning her down and restraining her with my hands capturing her wrists. I saw the fear in her eyes, but I could care less.

What she was suggesting was a betrayal to me.

The ultimate betrayal.

Serena looked at me with sad blue eyes and said," Haruka, I understand how you feel, but-" I cut her off by screaming, " No! You don't understand and don't pretend that you do! You still have your partners!" My tone changed from angry to broken as I said, " Michiru...Michiru can't be a Sailor Soldier anymore. I...I've lost my partner and...it's all my fault."

I looked Serena in the eyes and all my anger returned in a heartbeat. I shouted, tightening my grip on her,

" Now, because she can't be a Sailor Soldier anymore, you want to throw her away like trash?!"

Serena winced in pain and muttered weakly,

" Haruka, you're hurting me."

I felt a hand wrap around my arm and pull me away from Serena, making me even angrier than I already was.

* * *

I pushed myself into a sitting position and massaged my pained wrists. My savior turned out to be Setsuna and I thanked her for doing so,

" Thank you."

She nodded in acknowledgement as Haruka yelled to her,

" Setsuna, why are you taking her side?! You know what's she's planning to do, don't you?!"

" You need to let her explain everything before responding, Haruka."

Haruka scowled while I explained, " I wasn't planning on replacing Michiru permenantly. I just wanted someone to stand in for her temporarily until she recuperated. I presented the idea to the others and decided the matter on a majority vote. The vote resulted in a tie. I came by to tell you this because I thought you should know."

She glared at me and spat, " I don't care if you weren't planning on doing it. That doesn't change the fact that you thought about doing it. Does Michiru mean so little to you that you would cast her aside without a second thought?!"

Irritation bubbled up inside me, causing me to retort back,

" Michiru is a very precious friend to me! The mere thought of her not fighting alongside us hurts, but we need a Sailor Neptune, regardless of who it is. I will honor my words and not go through with the decision, but I fear that this is the wrong choice to make."

The following words that came out of her mouth cut deep into my heart,

" You know what the wrong choice was? Pledging my allegiance to you."

Tears threatened to come out of my eyes, but I stood my ground and stated,

" Listen, Haruka, I know how angry you must be at me right now. If I was in your position, I would be the same way. However, you have to understand my position as well. I am the leader of our team. I just wanted to make sure that the team wasn't lacking because one Sailor Soldier is out of commission. You are all under my jurisdiction and-"

" **I am not under your jurisdiction. I never was**."

I was stunned into silence as Haruka ranted, " The Inners are under your jurisdiction. They are the ones whose sole duty is to protect you. Michiru, Setsuna, and me aren't destined to serve you in any way. Anything we did that benefits your cause was something that we decided to do, but not anymore."

Despite the fact I knew what she was going to say, I asked Haruka,

" What are you saying, Haruka."

She looked me dead in the eyes and stated coldly,

" From here on out, I'm no longer your comrade. I will no longer abide by your rules. I work alone and that's it. My battles will be fought the way I decide and they will end the way I see fit."

" Haruka, please don't do this."

" Get out."

" Haruka-"

" I said get out!"

I stayed silent for a couple seconds until I gave into her request. Setsuna followed me outside and I asked her, " Setsuna, can you give me a few minutes to myself?"

She nodded and replied, " As you wish."

In the blink of an eye, she vanished from my sight. I wandered around town until I saw a telephone box. It was familiar to me because it was the same place where I sobbed my troubles away after Darien broke up with me for the first time. I entered the box and slid to the floor of it, releasing all of my troubles through cries once again.

Not only have I lost Michiru, but now I have lost Haruka. What are we going to do now?


	8. Abandoned on the Battlefield - Part 1

Hi, everyone! The Sailor Scouts are in quite the predicament, aren't they? First, Michiru goes into a coma and now Haruka has defected. What's Serena going to do now? Only one way to find out!

Enjoy the latest chapter!

I don't own Sailor Moon.

Part 7: Abandoned on the Battlefield - Part 1

Right after Ami, Makoto, Minako, and I left Serena's house, I had another vision. It was similar to the previous one, although this one was a little different. It was the same girl that attacked Ami, but this time, Makoto was the one attacking her. She ran towards her, screaming, " This is for Ami!" Thunder crackled around her fingers and she swiped at the girl. A cold smile formed on her face as she ducked out of the way of Makoto's attack. Makoto kept swinging at her, but she couldn't even land a single hit. In an act of frustration, she channeled all the electricity she could into her hands and shot it at the girl.

The girl held out her hand and water materialized in front of her. She trapped Makoto's lightning attack in the water, laughing in triumph. Suddenly, her eyes turned cold and she shot the water back at Makoto. Makoto tried to dodge it, but was unable to move. Her eyes widened when she saw that her feet were frozen to the ground. The water connected with Makoto as she felt the immense pain of the electricity that was contained within the blue liquid. Makoto fell to the ground with her body cringing in pain as tiny sparks of electricity crackled all over her. The girl looked right at me with a cruel smile and said, " You're next."

Despite my current feelings toward Serena, I had to tell her about this. Whipping out my cell phone, I dialed Serena's number.

* * *

My sobbing was interrupted by the sound of my phone ringing. My eyes widened when I saw that Rei was calling me. Quickly composing myself, I answered,

" Hello?"

" We need to talk. Where are you?"

I bit my lip and tried to think of a response. I couldn't tell her that I was crying in a phone booth. If I did that, she would know what that something was wrong. I told her a small white lie,

" I'm taking a walk around town. I'm standing right in front of the arcade."

" Stay right there and I'll meet you there."

" Okay."

* * *

I ran to the arcade as quickly as I possibly could and saw Serena. She waved at me and I approached her, saying, " I'm glad I-" I stopped mid-sentence when I noticed that her face was bright red. I questioned,

" Serena, have you been crying?"

She shook her head furiously and said,

" No, I haven't been crying. What made you come up with that conclusion?"

" Your face is red."

Serena remained silent after that comment and I demanded,

" Serena, what's going on?"

" Nothing. Nothing's going on."

She was lying to me, which made me narrow my eyes at her. What was she hiding from me? I stated,

" Serena, tell me what's going on."

" Rei, it's nothing. Just let it go."

" Serena, you're lying to me! Tell me the-"

"** I said it's nothing, Rei! Just drop it!**"

The tone of her voice surprised me a bit, but only confirmed my suspicions. She flinched when I asked her one last question,

" Serena, what did you do?"

* * *

Rei was being persistent, which is something I didn't need right now. At this point, I may have to confess to her about Haruka's defection, as much as I didn't want to. I opened my mouth to answer her when she turned her head to the side and closed her eyes. This action concerned me, which prompted me to ask,

" What's wrong?"

" I sense two evil presences in the area."

Two?! Why did the enemy just have to increase its forces now?! Our team is not only shortened, but its also divided. If these two are anything like the monster we faced before, we might not come back in one piece. Still, that doesn't mean we can't fight them off. I texted everyone, excluding Rei, Haruka, and Setsuna, informing them of what was going on.

_Two enemies have appeared. Meet in the Town Square._

I said, "Let's go to the Town Square. We'll meet everyone else there." Before we moved locations, Rei grabbed my shoulder and stated angrily,

" This isn't over."

I ripped my shoulder out of her grasp and replied in the same tone, "It is for now."

* * *

After I ordered Serena and Setsuna to get out of the apartment, I felt nothing but anger. I didn't feel the exhaustion that I previously felt before Serena and Setsuna showed up. All I felt was fury and I wanted my fury to be quenched. My remedy for that was a good old-fashioned fight. I flipped on the television and saw that the news report of people getting attacked by a strange monster.

A smirk formed on my face in light of this news. Maybe, I'll get my fight after all.


End file.
